The Gaston Gazette reports a woman who was meeting her mother in the parking lot of East Baptist Church Friday morning found Emily Hullender. She said she saw the toddler walking in the parking lot as she drove by, and when she came back around, the little girl was sitting in a nearby yard crying.

Authorities charged 25-year-old Timothy William Hullender, who said he fell asleep while his daughter was sleeping and didn't know she had gotten out.

Hullender was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond. It's not known if he has an attorney.